Mika Markus Merviö is Professor of International Relations at the Kibi International University, Okayama, Japan. Previously he has been working at the University of Tampere, Finland, from 1983-1995, and from which he also received his Ph.D. (International Relations). Then he moved to the International Christian University, Tôkyô, Japan as a JSPS researcher and from there to the Miyazaki International University and the University of Shimane, where he worked as a Professor. From 2000 he has been working at the Kibi International University. His research interests include political and social issues, history, art and environment.